Machine for reducing old rails



(No Model.) 2

S. MGCLOUD.

M IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII OL DDDDD S.

Sheets-Sheet l.

910.395,339. Patented Jen. l, 1889. e e 'e IH Q Y QQ) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s. MCGLOUD.

MACHINE FUR REDUGING OLD RAILS. 910.395,339. 333999393911399 Jan. 1, 1339.

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WENT 9 ltlnrrien Sterne arent @terreno SIDNEY MCCIJOUD, OF CHICAGO, IIJIJIOIS.

MACHINE FOR REDUCING OL Rit-ULS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 395,339, dated January 1, 1889.

Application filed October 13, 1888. Serial No. 288,040. (No model.)

T ca/ZZ whom zit may concern..-

Be it known that l, SIDNEY MCCLOUD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Reducing Railroad-Rails, ot' which I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specification.

My present invention has relation to that class of machin designed more especially`Y for reducing railroad-rails (particularly old steel rails) to plates or blanks, an example of this type ot machine being illustrated in Letters Patent No. 380,504, granted to me April S, 1888.

As in the ordinary [form of railroad-rails the head portion ot' the rail contains considerably more metal than the iiange portion, it is found that during the operation of reducing such rails to plates there is a` tendency of the partially-reduced rail to pass from the rolls in a somewhat; curved shape. This is due in part to the tact that as the excess metal of the head portion ot the rail is compressed it is apt to be extended in the direction ot' the length ot' the rail to greater extent than is the metal in the [lange portion ot' the rail, and is due to the further fact that if there be any variation or irregularity7 in the diameter of the rolls or their setting there is a tendency on the part ot the rail to turn upward it leaves the rolls, while by the construction ot' rolls illustrated in my above-nientioned patent I have in great measure overcome the tendency ot' the rails to curvelaterally in passing' from the rolls.

The object ot' my present invention is to provide mechanism whereby the rails may be directed with certainty between the rolls and may be so securely held during the reducing operation that all danger ot' their passing f rom the rolls in curved torni will be avoided.

To this end my invention consists in the novel features of construct-ion hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying' drawings, and particularly defined in the claims at the end ot' this specification.

Figure l front view ot' a machine havin g my present improvements applied thereto. Fig. Q is a view in vertical transverse section on line c .ic of Fig. l. Fig. in is view oi thc machine in rear elevation. Fig. e is an enlarged detail front view' of the delivery-guide for the irst pass. Fig. is a plan View of the delivery-guide shown in Fig. i.

As the rolls A, B, and C (illustrated in the annexed drawings) are substantially the same in shape as those shown in my Patent No. 380,504, the peculiarities and advantages incident to such shapes need not be here particularly described, it being sufficient to state that in the present construction, as in that defined in said patent, there are tive passes given to the rail during the reducing operation in addition to the usual Hat passes. The portions of the rolls at which these tive passes occur are designated, respectively, by the let-ters P, Q, R, S, and T, the riatpasses occurrin between the portions of the rolls A B', and C', as particularly described in said patent.

In front ot that portion. l of the rolls B and C by which the irst pass of the rails is effected is placed the delivery-guide D, and at the rear side ot such rolls in corresponding position is placed the receiving-guideD, and in like manner tor effecting the pass at Q are placed the delivery and receiving guides E and E', and at the pass R the delivery and receiving guides F and F', at the pass S the delivery and receiving guides G and G', and at the pass T the delivery and receiving guides H and H. The several deliveryguides D, F, and H are mounted upon the transverse beam or bar I, that extends across the front ot' the lower roll, C, and is suitably sustained by posts or pillars (not shown) in well-known manner, and the receiving-guides D', F', and Il are in like manner mounted upon a transverse beam or bar, I', suitably sustained at the opposite side ot' the roll C. So, also, the delivery-guides E and G are mounted upon the transverse beam or bar K, extending across the bach of the roll B, and the receiving-guides E and l are mounted upon the transverse beam or bar K', that extends across the front of the roll B.

The delivery-guide D is shown as composed of two castings, the bases d and d of which are bolted to the transverse bar l, although, if desired, this guide may be formed in a single piece, my purpose of forming it of two parts IOO being merely for convenience of construction. The guide D, when its two sections are set together for use, comprises abox or trough cover, (Z9, separate from the side walls, (Zl and having i1iwardly-converging sides (Z2 and a central rib, (Z3, preferably cast in one piece with the bottom plate of the section (Z ot the guide, and by preference, also, of reduced size from back to front, as more particularly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

My object in forming the guide D with t-he expanded front portion'and with its sides in- CZS, is to enable this cover to be readily removed in case any fragments ot' metal shouldaccumulate at the inner end ot' the receivingguide and avoid the necessity ot displacing' the entire guide to remove such accumulation.

Upon the bottom plates of the sections ot 1 the receivil'lg-guide D and between the side walls are preferably placed wrought-iron bars i and 5, upon which will bear, respectively,

wardly converging, and in forming the ceni tral rib, (Z3, of this guide of reduced size at I preference setwithin channels formed in the its front end, is to facilitate the introduction of the rail into the guide. At its rear end the central rib, (Z3, of the guide is expanded to a size, by preference, approximately equal to the space between the head and fiange of `the rail to be reduced, and the upper face of this rib (Z3 at its rear end is about on a line with the periphery of the roll C; hence it will be seen that when the rail to be reduced has been placed within the guide D it will rest upon the rib (Z3, and theV rear portion of this rib will firmly bear against the under side of the head ot the rail, so as to securely hold the rail as it is subjected to the reducing action of the rolls in making' the first pass.

The receiving-guide D is'shown as formed j mechanism to bear against the head portion of the separate castings (Z5 and c the bottom plates of which are bolted to the transverse l beam-or bar l', although, if desired, these parts of the receiving-guide maybe formed in a single piece.

The side walls, (ZT and (ZS, of the receivingguide D are preferably parallel, and upon these side walls rests the top plate or cover, C19, that is held in place by means ot bolts 0 the head and flange portion of the rails as they pass from the rolls, these bars being' by i lateral direction by the central rib, (Z3, of the delivery-guide and by the rib d of the receiving-guide, each ot' -these ribs bearing against the head portion ot the rail where the metal is of such thickness that any tendency to curve can be with certainty resisted. It is plain, also, that by thus providing guide of the rail during its passage through the rolls a much more secure resistance to lateral curvature is secured than would be possible it' the resistance were offered merely upon the flange ot the rail, since, as will be seen by Fig. 3, the flange is partially bent during its passage through the rolls, and it the guide Q bore simply against this flange the lateral that set within slots 3 in the side walls, (Z7 and S and extension ot' the metal would be so great d8, and pass through suitable holes in the cover d, that is held in place by the nuts. Upon the under tace of' the cover (Zi is prete'rably formed flanges (Zw, to embrace the upthe inner side of the partially-compressed railhead, and assist in counteracting any tendency ot' the rail to curve in lateral direction. It will be observed that the inner end ot' the top plate orcover, (Z9, extends into close proximity to the roll B, and is beveled to conform to the periphery of the roll, the purpose of this construction being to enable the top plate or cover, CZ?, to act not merely as an upper guide-bar to overcome any tendency ofthe partiallyreduced rail to `curve in upward direction, but as well, also, to keep the periphery olf-the roll B at such point clean from scales or scraps.

My purpose in forming the top plate or partially-compressed head of the rail.

pressure incident to any unequal compression as to straighten the partially-bent flange and allow the rail to pass t'rom therolls in slightlycurved shape.

The delivery-guide E, opposite that part Q of the rolls through which the second pass ot' the rail occurs, has its lower portion by pret'- eren ce formed ot' separate parts, the side walls, e and e,ol' this delivery-guide converging from front to back and being provided with a central rib, e2, of' tapering contour similar to the central rib, (Z2, of the delivery-gui jle D, and adapted to bear in like manneragainst the This IOO IIO

delivery-guide E is, however, provided with a top plate or cover, c3, that rests upon the side walls, e and e, ot' the guide, and is bolted thereto in the same manner as the cover CZ is bolted to the side walls of the receiving-guide. The under face of this cover e3 is provided, by preference, with a rib, e, that extends from t'ront to back of the cover in position to project between the head and flanged portions of the rails, and bear upon the partially-compressed head as it is delivered to the rolls. The receiving-guide 8 is similar in construction to the receiving-guide D', the dimension of the parts being modified to correspond with the change in the shape of the rail incident to its partial compression. In this guide, as in the receiving-guide D', the cover is provided with a rib, e", that extends within the space between the partially-compressed head and flanged portions of the rail, and aids in guarding the rail against tendency to curve in lateral direction.

The delivery-guide F is similar in construction to the delivery-guide E, last described, the precise dimensions of this guide and its ribs being simply modified, as shown, to correspond with the change in the form of the rail incident to its further reduction. The receiving-guide l1" has its lower portion silnilar in construction to the corresponding part of the receiving-guide E'; but the top plate of this receiving-guide F is provided,prefer ably, with two parallel ribs, fb' and f7, exten ding from end to end thereof, and adapted to enter the grooves formed in the head and iiange portions of the rail during the corresponding pass, R, of the rolls.

The delivery-guide G, opposite that portion of the rolls through which the fourth pass of the rail occurs, has its lower portion prefera bly formed of two parts converging Yfrom front to rear, and has its top plate or cover, g, bolted thereto in the same manner the top plates or covers of the guide hereinbefore described. In this delivery-guide, however, the bottom plate, g', of the guide is not provided with a central rib, since by the time the fourth pass is made the rail has assumed such form that the web or body portion of the rail is flush with the bottom plate of the guide. The top plate or cover, g, of this delivery-guide is provided however with a central rib (9 that, 3 J 7 7 enters the space between the compressed head and flanged portion of the rail, and serves to accurately guide the rail to the rolls and aid in preventing any tendency of the rail to The receivingguide G' is similar in construction to the recurve in lateral direction.

ceiving-guides D' and E', above described, the ribs upon the bottom plate and upon the top plate or cover of this receiving-guide being modified to conform to the changed shape of the rail; but in this construction, as in the receiving-guides D' and E', the top plate, g4,

is provided wit-h a central rib, gl", that enters l the space between the compressed head and fianged portions of the rail, and aids in preventing' any tendency to bend in either direction.

The delivery-guide H, through which the fifth pass of the rail is effected, has its lower portion formed with converging bottom 'and top and side walls similar to the deliveryguides already described; but in this construction the lower portion of the guide is shown as formed as a single casting with the top plate of the guides, already described. The under side of the top plate of the delivery-guide H is by preference provided with a central rib, 71, adapted to enter the space between the metal formed from the head and vflanged portions of the rail; but it is obvious that since the rail when it reaches the fth pass is of almost uniform thickness there does not exist the same necessity for the use of a central guide as in the prior passes of the rail. The rib 71, however, will serve as an aid in guiding the rail with accuracy between the rolls, and will aid in preventing any lateral movement of the rail as it passes therefrom. The receiving-guide ll' has its lower I portion similar to the corresponding part of i the receiving-guide G', and in this guide H l the top plate is tlatV upon its under side, since the blank after it has made the iifth pass through the roll is of uniform thickness and very nearly flat.

After the blank has loft the fifth pass it will receive one or more linal passes through the i'lat portions A', B', and (l' of the rolls.

It will be readily understood that the precise details of construction ot' t-he guide mechanism above described may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that certain features of the invention may be employed without its adoption as an entirety. To such details therefore I do not wish my claims to be understood as restricted.

lflavin g thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combinatitm, with a set of rolls for reducing railroad-rails, of a delivery-guide having' a rib adapted to bear upon the under side of the head portion of the rail, substantially described.

2. The combination, with a set of rolls for reducing railroad-rails, of a delivery-guide having a rib adapted to bear upon the under i side of the head portion of the rail, said rib being of taperingshape from back to front, substantially as described.

The combination, with a set of rolls for i reducing railroad-rails, of a delivery-guide l, having side walls converging from front to back and having a central rib adapted to bear upon the under side of the head portion of the rail and tapering from back to front, substantially as described.

i. The combination, with a set of rolls for reducing railroad-rails, of a delivery-guide i the top and bottom plates of which are prol vided with ribs or elevations adapted to bear upon the under side of the head portion of l the rail, substantially as described.

l 5. The combination, with a set of rolls for reducing railroad-rails, of a delivery-guide having a rib Yfor bearing upon the under side l of the head portion of the rail, and a receiving-guide having a rib for bearing against z the head portion of the rail upon the opposite side of the rail, substantially as described. (5. The combination, with a set of rolls for reducing railroad-rails, of a receiving-guide IOO IIO

having a rib arranged to extend into J(he S. The Combination, with a set of rolls for V1o space between the head and flange port-ions reducing' railroad-rails, of a guide having' a, of the rails as it passes through the rolle, subrem ovzibie cover, substantially as described. Siantiaiiy as described. 5 '7. The Combination, Wih a set 0E rolls for reducing'railroadraiis7 of .f1y receiving-guide having n top plate extending in proximity to the periphery of the rolls, snbeimii'ialiy :is described.

SIDNEY MCCLOUD.

vtnessem GEO. P. FISHER, Jr., RoBT. H. LEWIS. 

